The Cost to Paint the Interior of a House

What Painters Look For When Calculating Interior Painting Costs

A fresh coat of interior paint is one of the most impactful ways to improve a home’s decor, but what are the costs? The “thousands-dollar” question is whether you will hire a painter or have the time and skills to paint your home interior yourself. 

Interior Painting Costs Per-Square Foot

You can estimate house painting costs if you know the area’s square footage. However, not all surfaces have the same demands when determining interior painting costs. On average, painter labor and materials rates range from $2 to $6 per square foot. 

A plain wall typically costs an average of $2.75 per square foot to paint, but if you include the walls, trim, and ceiling in the calculation, the average price rise ranges from $4.69 – $5.25. Let’s consider how to estimate your costs based on your specific home features. 

• Rooms with Vaulted Ceilings: Higher areas demand an additional $0.55 to $1.10 per square foot when the walls are 12 feet or more.
• Rooms with Cathedral Ceilings ranging from 14 to 20 feet bring an additional $0.84 to $1.89 per square foot.
• Rooms with Trim & Baseboards: The average cost ranges from $1 to $6 per linear foot.

Calculating ceiling square footage is a simple multiple of length x width. How do you calculate wall square footage for paint materials?

1. Add the entire length of all walls. 
2. Multiply the total wall length by the height of the walls.
3. Determine the square footage the paint will cover and the coats needed for proper coverage. 

Understanding total square footage (length x height) will provide a rough cost estimate, helping you plan, budget, and prioritize the most important rooms.

Cost to Paint a Room

While pricing residential and commercial interior painting projects based on square footage is not the best means of accurate pricing, nationally, this is the method most painting contractors use.

However, we price based on production rates that calculate working hours and materials using  Pep painting software. Production rates accurately determine how much of a particular task a worker can achieve within an hour.

A thorough guide to painting interior walls.

Another inconsistency with interior painting costs per sqft for an entire house is that it inaccurately defines the prices per room. While the needs for each painting project are different, we have arranged a list of prices broken down to include standard rooms found in a home: 

Bedrooms 

Small bedrooms can be as little as 80 square feet, the average is 132 square feet, and a master bedroom is, on average, 225 square feet. Painting small or medium bedrooms will typically cost $300 to $800, while master bedrooms can cost upwards of $1,300 in high-end homes. 

Kitchens 

kitchen wall spaces are mainly covered by cabinets, backsplashes, and appliances. Therefore, paint materials are typically minimal, although the time and materials needed to protect countertops and cabinets increase costs. The average kitchen interior painting costs $400 to $900 if no wallpaper is involved.

Bathrooms 

The average size of a half bathroom is 21 square feet and may cost $130 to $300 to paint, while a master bathroom typically is between 60 and 110 square feet and may cost anywhere from $350 to $650. The national average to have a bathroom painted is $300. 

Living Rooms

Living area prices can quickly increase when high ceilings or other design features challenge accessibility. An ordinary room can cost as little as $700, while large rooms with elaborate structures cost over $2,000. 

Stairways 

These high-traffic areas come in a wide range of sizes and layouts, and the cost to paint them ranges from $325 to $1000. Since many stairwells contain spindles, baseboard stringers, knee wall caps, banisters, risers, and handrail backers, these items are also considered. 

Hallways 

High-foot-traffic transition areas often require a durable paint finish. Depending on the length of the hallway, expect to spend $325 to $800. 

Dining Rooms 

Rooms fitting traditional eating tables usually are within the average dining room size of 224 square feet. If you have a space with a formal table and extra seating, your room may be larger than 250 square feet. Dining room painting costs about $400 to $1,100, omitting fancy faux or metallic finishes.

Storage Spaces 

Closets, pantries, and nooks typically cost about $110 to $320 each, depending on the sqft of shelve space and difficulty maneuvering. The cost of painting these areas has widely increased due to increased materials prices. You could save a bit of coin by leaving storage spaces out of the equation. However, a way to mitigate closet painting costs is to paint them a solid color, such as white or a matching trim color.

Average Cost to Paint the Interior of a House

Do you have a large-scale painting project in mind? If you want to hire a professional to put a fresh coat of paint on the entire interior of your house, you can estimate the cost of the project based on your home’s total square footage. According to the U.S. Census Bureau Data, Raleigh has the third largest home size of any city in the United States. 

We’re figuring that into our calculations for you. Here’s a breakdown of the average living dwelling sizes and how much it will cost to have them painted in Raleigh: 

• Apartment/Condo (957 Square Feet): $1,500 to $6,000
• The average home (1,795 Square Feet): $2,400 to $8,200
• Family Home (2,366 Square Feet): $3,250 to $10,000
• Large home (3,500 Square Feet): $7,800 to $24,000

Cost to Paint Interior Walls, Ceilings, & Additional Surfaces

If you’re considering having painters work on surfaces in your home that aren’t walls, the price will vary depending on the project. 

The following is a list of the pricing for commonly painted surfaces:

Cabinets 

Painting cabinets is considered fine finishing, requiring the most labor and detail. It costs from $3 to $12 per square foot, or about $1,100 to $8,500 per project. Special and dark finishes can increase costs. 

Trim 

For baseboards, door or window casings, attic vents, wainscoting, crown molding, chair railing, coffered ceilings, and more—including but not limited to —expect to pay $1 to $4 per linear foot, averaging $70 to $600 for average-sized rooms. 

Ceilings 

Prices will depend on the texture of the ceiling, but they typically range from $1 to $2.50 per square foot or $150 to $300 for a 12×12-foot ceiling. 

Doors 

Unlike walls or trim, doors are charged by the item, ranging from $40 to $100 for paneled doors and other glass door configurations. 

Walls 

Typically the easiest to paint, the average wall price is about $2.75 per square foot. That amount may be higher or lower based on the difficulty of reaching the space. 

Considering DYI?

Interior Painting Tips

DIY Interior House Painting Material Costs

Of all the professional trades, interior house painting is the most attempted job by homeowners. Some projects turn out “okay,” while most don’t. 

We will help you with a few essential considerations if you take on the challenge. First, how much paint will you need? Generally, one gallon of paint can provide a single coat on 350 to 400-square-foot surfaces. 

Some painting projects will require one coat of primer, while two coats of paint as the top coat is standard. You may consider multiple additional coats if you are covering bright, dark, or untraditional colors.

• Prices for the best primers range from $35 – $60. 
• So-called “self-priming” paints could still require a primer coat.
• Low-grade interior paint costs $13 to $35 a gallon 
• Mid-tier interior paint costs $35 to $50 per gallon 
• Premium interior paint costs $45 to $90 per gallon 

The prices of paint and raw materials have skyrocketed over time, leaving some having to choose low-grade options. Did you know that paint finishes and contents can also alter the price? 

• Cheaper Finish = Flat/ Commercial Grade Paints
• Mid Level Finishes = Low Sheen, Eggshell, Low Luster
• Higher Grade Finishes = Medium Luster, Pearl, Velvet, Semi-Gloss
• Highest Grade Finishes = Gloss, High-Gloss, Oil, Acrylic Enamel, Lacquer

Remember that this guideline has a few exceptions – although, typically, the exceptions deem more cost. For example, Sherwin-Williams Duration interior flat is one of our most durable interior flat finishes. Still, it costs the same as a competing satin finish in many cases.

Cost of Additional Equipment & Supplies

You may already have some of these supplies, but you’ll likely have to invest in at least a few additional tools to complete a paint job. 

• Roller Nap & Frame: $30 – $80
• Paint Trays: $6 – $70
• Paint Brushes: $12 – $24
• Painter’s Tape: $3 – $10
• Drop cloths: $7 – $90
• Drywall Knife: $5 – $20
• Sanding Sponge: $4 – $30
• Warner Ladder: $80 – $300

If you need the proper paint supplies and tools, it costs most people a minimum of $100 to $400 to paint a small room themselves. The most significant expenses are ladders and paint application tools like roller poles, rollers, and brushes. 

Hiring Professional Service vs. DIY

If you’re considering taking on a paint project yourself, avoid falling into the trap of underestimating the time and effort the project will require. 

You’ll start by carefully measuring your room, going to the store, and selecting the right paint and supplies. You’ll also need to tape off baseboards, trim, windows, and doors, lay the drop cloths, and do what it takes to ensure the walls are clean.

A full-service painting service will be well-versed in paint colors and applications and will confidently guide you on a path to success. The application process takes time for beginners and can be about twice as long as it would take a professional who knows what they’re doing. Painting a small room can take first-timers an entire day to complete, and painting several rooms will quickly take up a whole weekend or more. 

Hiring A Good Interior Painter

Interior painting is expensive, so you must do your due diligence to find the right person for the job. 

The best practices are to call around, read Google reviews, and inspect examples of their work in the photo galleries of their website.

We give our customers all the project details before the contract is signed so they have everything they need to understand what the project entails before committing. Everything is itemized and easy to understand. 

We also offer a 5-year warranty, one of the best in the business, to ensure you’re ecstatic with the final result. 

How To Get An Exact Price

If you want an exact price of how much interior painting costs, first understand that calculating the cost to paint the interior of a house can be complicated as surface condition, surface type, color, sheen, and accessibility are cost factors. 

When interior painters assess projects, essential calculations involve wall and ceiling square footage, ceiling height, door and window count, and trim measurements. Tight spaces, furniture, and amount of paint coats will also influence the cost.

Conclusion

If you’re ready to update your living space with a fresh coat of paint, there’s an interior home painting project for nearly any budget. 

Now you know what goes into a price estimate for a home painting project and understand what you need to move forward with the next step in turning your home into a space that’s uniquely you and makes you feel the most comfortable. 

Contact us to schedule a free quote or speak directly with one of our representatives, who can give you more information about starting this process. You’re closer than ever to experiencing what we can do for your home!